DARDANELLE - The Arkansas River Valley Area Council (ARVAC) announced during Tuesday's special meeting that the federal government has targeted the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) for serious cuts and program changes.

Bob Adkison, ARVAC executive director, said President Barack Obama's budget aims to cut 50 percent of the grant's normal operations for the 2011 and 2012 fiscal years.

Adkison said the grant provided $700 million to CAAs across the nation for the 2010 fiscal year. The government cut that number by 2.9 percent for the 2011 fiscal year, to $680 million. It is that number that would be halved.

"I would hope we would have substantially better than $350 million," Adkison said. "We are still trying to push for $680 million now. I'm not sure we will come up with that with all the entities that are applying.

Adkison said last year ARVAC received $762,516 from the CSBG; it got $741,000 this year.

The 50 percent cut to the grant would be "detrimental" to the various operations ARVAC provides, he said.

"CSBG is very important for administrative operations and outreach," Adkison said. "I hope community action agencies are better than 50 percent."

ARVAC hopes to meet with members of Congress to show them how important their services are to communities.

Also on Tuesday, Edgar Holt, ARVAC board president, announced ARVAC lost one of their longtime board members, Tom Hawkins. Holt said Hawkins was "an advocate second to none."

Holt also announced it would be the last day Lou Vitale, ARVAC board program coordinator, would attend a board meeting as an employee of ARVAC. Vitale thanked the board for its support.

In other business:

 Three new board members were accepted, including Wilma Ferguson, Father Richard Davis and Ted Tritt;

 Holt presented the 2011 Action Award to Tony Wilson; and

 Lou Vitale announced the board retreat will be October 13-14 at Mount Magazine.